A structural analog of melatonin that binds the melatonin MT2 receptor (Ki = 0.41 nM). It acts as a melatonin receptor antagonist in frog skin and chicken retina and as a partial agonist in rabbit retina. N-acetyl tryptamine also is a reaction product of
assays for serotonin N-acetyltransferase in the melatonin biosynthetic pathway.